Just Run
by hazel lyn 17
Summary: "Run Bella. Run and don't stop until you're safe." All Bella Dwyer had ever known was running. It was easy, natural. Breathe, don't look up, just keep running… But how can she keep from running from the people she loves the most? AH
1. Prologue

Summary:

"Run Bella. Run and don't stop until you're safe." All Bella Dwyer had ever known was running. It was easy, natural. Breath, don't look up, just keep running… But how can she keep from running from the people she loves the most?

Disclaimer: These characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

Prolouge:

I started running at a very early age. My mom used to tell me she needed to keep running shoes on at all times just to keep up with me as a toddler. She was my family. It had been the Mom and Bella show as long as I could remember. My dad died when I was and infant. He was a firefighter. Mom loved to tell me stories about him when I would find my way to her bed during a thunderstorm or after a nightmare had disrupted my sleep.

"He was one of those special kind of crazies," she'd say sadly, "The kind that would run towards the danger instead of away from it."

It had been that heroism that took him away from us. A fire had started in a home not far from ours. They had successfully removed everyone from the building, but the foundation had crumbled under three firefighters as they tried to make their way to safety. My dad had been one of them.

My mom tried to stay strong for me, but she had never been one to suffer on her own. She needed someone in her life to support her as only a husband could. So when I was six, James came into our lives. By the time I was six and a half, they were married. By the time I was seven, things had gone bad, fast.

James was a drunk, prone to violence in his drunken rage. My mom would hide with me upstairs until he finished or passed out, telling me stories of princesses who rescued themselves and damsels who escaped evil's cold clutches using their own wits.

Sometimes, though, we were taken by surprise and caught in the crossfire. That's how that night started. The night I first ran for my life.

James had crashed through the front door, startling my mom and me. We had been making dinner and hadn't expected him back for hours. He began ranting and raving, as my mom tried to discreetly guide me up the stairs. His blood shot eyes landed on us, and I shivered at the cold hardness I saw there.

"And where do you think you're going?!" he raged, grabbing my mom by the hair and dragging her back to him. She fought back, which only served to anger him and he threw her to the ground as I looked on in horror. She crawled to me, got to her feet, and ran with me to the kitchen. She shoved me to the back door and whispered urgently, "Run Bella. Run and don't stop until you're safe." I shook my head, my seven year old eyes wide with fear and confusion.

"Go Bella! Don't look back, just run!" And with that she shoved me out the door and turned to face our nightmare. I didn't listen. I looked back. Just in time to see my mom stand between James and the door, the night, me. And then I turned, and ran.

Keep moving. Just breathe. Don't look up. Just run. My legs pumped faster as my second hand sneakers slapped against the dark, slick pavement. I kept running. Just kept running.

Suddenly arms wrapped around me and pulled me back into a large warm body. Instinct kicked in as I fought against the restraining force. I kicked and punched and lashed out until I heard a gruff voice say, "Hey! Hey now! Calm down! I won't hurt you! You're safe!"

_You're safe._ At those words my body went limp and I stopped resisting as I looked up towards the voice. A man in a uniform with a shiny badge, dark brown eyes, and a small mustache on his upper lip stared down at me.

"Ok sweetheart, you're alright. Can you tell me your name?" I liked his voice. It was low, and comforting.

"Bella. I'm seven," I whispered. The man smiled kindly at me.

"I'm Officer Swan. And may I say, Bella, you pack one heck of punch for a seven year old."

"Seven and a half," I told him. He smiled.

"Can you tell me what happened? Why were you running?"

"Mommy told me to."

"Where is your mom?" I began to cry.

"She's at home. With James. James is going to hurt Mommy. Mommy told me to run. I kept running. Run til I'm safe," I sobbed. Officer Swan looked very serious. He took me back to his car and spoke into his radio.

"Bella you have to show me where you live ok?" I nodded and recited my address just like my mom had practiced with me and got into Officer Swan's car as more cars arrived with their lights flashing.

Officer Swan was speaking to another man, "Chief, the girl's mother is still at the house with the man she spoke of. I suspect violence, perhaps continuous abuse…" After a few minutes the cars were all rushing back to my house.

The lights were off, the front door wide open. I had to stay in the car while Officer Swan and the other men went inside. A few minutes later they supported my mom as she limped out of the house. James was nowhere in sight.

Later, at the hospital, my mom held me close and wouldn't let anyone pry us apart.

"I'm sorry baby. So sorry. I'm going to keep you safe from now on. No one is going to hurt us again," she whispered fiercely as she rocked us back and forth.

Less than three days later, our bags were packed, the house was put up for sale, and we both clutched plane tickets for Phoenix, Arizona. The police chief assured my mom he would keep her updated on any developments on the search for James. After they had left, she held me close again and whispered "We're leaving this all behind us baby. He can't hurt us. I promise."

And just like that I turned my seven year old back on Forks, Washington. And we ran. Ran from James, ran from the haunting memories of my father, ran from the town my mother had grown up in, and kept running until we reached our new lives.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

_Ten Years Later_

My legs were burning as they propelled me along the pavement. I pumped them faster and faster, ignoring the familiar ache that resonated in my muscles. Sweat poured from my body, as the fierce California sun beat down on me. My breathing was steady though. I was used to this. Running was second nature to me.

I run for lots of different reasons. I run because it clears my mind. I run because the endorphins that come with it are the best high anyone could offer. I run because it's easier to have your sights set on what's right in front of you then what you've left behind.

But right now I was running because I was pretty sure my house was on fire.

I had gone out for an afternoon jog; which soon turned into an afternoon sprint as I saw smoke rising above the houses about five blocks away. My stomach sank with fear and I knew, _just knew_ that it was coming from our modest little yellow house on the corner that we had been living in for about two months now.

So I urged my legs to move faster underneath and skidded to a stop in front of the house which, sure enough, had smoke billowing out of the kitchen window.

I ran to the front door, threw it open and called inside frantically.

"Mom! Mom where are you?!"

My body relaxed in immediate relief when I heard my mom's voice call back to me.

"I'm in here sweetie! Everything's alright! Just a little… um… accident in the kitchen!"

I rushed into the kitchen where I found my mom waving smoke out the window with a place mat. I coughed a little waving the lingering smoke from my face with my hand.

"What happened?"

"The dang toaster's broken! Caught fire while I was trying to make some toast for the garlic bread!" I looked over to what used to be our toaster. It was now covered in white goo from the fire extinguisher that my mom had apparently wielded to put out the fire.

I raised an eyebrow at her, "The toaster wasn't broken this morning…?"

She cleared her throat, "Yes well it must have been some kind of wiring problem."

"And some burnt toast caused this much smoke?" She shrugged, embarrassed.  
"Well, I might have also burned the pasta I was making…" she nodded towards the stove which was also covered with the fire extinguisher foam. I laughed shaking my head, and grabbed the phone.

"Pizza or Chinese?"

"Pizza, I've got a coupon."

Since our first move to Phoenix, Arizona when I was seven years old, my mom and I have moved a total of eight times. We moved so often, that we had it down to an art. One of the first things we did when we first arrived in a new town was scope out the surrounding area for the best take out.

My mom really couldn't cook to save her life. I was able to take over kitchen duties most of the time, but my mom didn't want me to have to cook every day and sometimes insisted on taking on dinner. Most of her attempts ended in fire or food poisoning. Needless to say we were very well acquainted with the various take out restaurants in the neighborhood.  
Moving often was just a part of our lives. Like running, moving from city to city had become second nature to me. Whenever my mom had enough of an area, had just had a particularly bad break up with a boyfriend, or felt the need for a change, we would pack up, pile our lives into the car, and move on to our next chapter. Sometimes she picked the next city. Sometimes I did. Sometimes we would just drive through the night until I woke up and she announced that we were home.

In the last ten years I had lived in eight different cities.

We stayed in Phoenix for six months before moving on to Tuba City: a town not far from the Grand Canyon.

We stayed there only three months before moving on to Las Vegas for a while. We stayed in Vegas until my eighth birthday when we moved to Santa Barbara, California. We had really liked it there, staying for two whole years before we began hopping all around the state of California. Most recently we ended up in Burbank, California, not far from Hollywood.

But despite all the different places we lived, the routine was basically the same. We would rent out a place, paying by the month and I would get enrolled in school. My mom would scout the area for anywhere offering work. She had been a yoga instructor, a dog walker, a daycare employee, and so many other things that I'm sure her resume was at least eight pages long. We would fall into a routine, and then, so many months later, it would be time to move again. I had taken to just keeping my belongings in my boxes.

I didn't really mind all the moving though. It was like running to me. Easy. Second nature. Focusing on what was to come in the immediate future, and leaving the past behind us. I didn't make many friends, but I wasn't much of a social butterfly at any rate. I was more of an outside observer, and I embraced that role. I found that when you don't have expectations for people, it is nearly impossible for them to disappoint you. It's easier that way.

My mom had dated a few guys over the years, but none had lasted more than two months. She always found something wrong with them.

"Too stuffy," she'd say of one.

"Not serious enough," she'd say of another.

"He's just too _happy!_" she'd complain.

I didn't really mind. I enjoyed having her all to myself. The Mom and Bella show. Going from one adventure to the next.

But I do know she was lonely a lot. She hid it well, but she could never hide anything completely from me. We knew each other too well.

Once we were finished stuffing ourselves with a few slices of extra cheese pizza , I leaned back and gazed at my mom with an inquiring eye.

"So…" She raised an eyebrow.

"So what?"

"Why were you subjecting the kitchen to cruel and unusual punishment this afternoon?" She widened her eyes, the picture of innocence. It would have worked too, if I didn't know that look all too well. She'd helped me perfect it by the time I was eight.

"What do you mean? Can't I just try and cook a meal for my beautiful daughter?" My eyebrows shot up to my hairline. This was big.

"Ok. Spill. Out with it," I demanded. She grinned widely.

"I can never get anything past you Bella. I swear to God you've got lie detectors embedded in that marvelous mind of yours." Her grin faded and she became serious. She bit her bottom lip nervously, a habit she and I shared.

"I want your opinion on something Bella. I want you to answer honestly, ok?" My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, but I nodded hesitantly.

"How would you feel, about moving… back home." Now I was thoroughly baffled.

"Home? What, you mean Phoenix?" My mom shook her head.

"No Bella. Our first home. Forks." My eyes widened in shock as I took in her guarded expression. Forks. Green. Wet. Small town. The exact opposite of anywhere we had lived since I was seven years old. I remembered it vividly, but I had become very good at pushing the memories to the darkest corners of my mind. They all came rushing back now. The screaming. And fighting. The shattering of glass as he smashed a bottle to the floor. I did my best to push it all back.

"I…"

"I know it's kind of sudden. An old friend emailed me a couple of days ago. Told me there was a house for sale. Not too expensive, and in good condition too. There's also a kindergarten teaching position open. My old job. It would be mine. I already contacted the board. All I have to do is say yes."

I looked at her with only one question on my mind.

"Why?"

My mom, my only family, the woman who had taught me these past ten years that the princess never had to wait for the prince to save her and a damsel in distress should rely on no one but herself, slumped in her chair and looked utterly defeated.

"I'm so _tired_ Bella. I'm tired of running from city to city. Running from the memories. I'm tired of forcing you to uproot your life over and over again. I'm tired of just going. I want to stop and stay in one place for a while. Somewhere familiar. I want to go home."

I was shocked as I took in her words. Here I prided myself on knowing her so well, and I never even saw a glimpse of this fatigue and impatience for our lifestyle. I gazed at my mom's tired face, spotting thin lines that I'd never noticed before and made my decision on the spot.

"Ok."

We were going home.

**Thanks for reading the first chapter of my story, now that we've gotten I bit more into Bella's story, the chapters will be getting a little longer, and hopefully I'll be able to update regularly!**

**Thanks again!**

**~Hazel**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

_I was seven years old again. My breath came out in short puffs as I took off down the street, running as if my life depended on it. My sneakers pounded against the pavement. Only one thought was in my mind. Run. And don't stop until you're safe._

I awoke with a jolt as the pilot's voice came over the sound system informing us that we were a few minutes from landing, and that we should move our seats into the upright position and fasten our seatbelts. I glanced over at my mom who was already prepared for landing and tapping her foot anxiously. She shot me a quick, nervous grin and then returned her gaze out the window. She had been this way the whole trip. Flying made her nervous.

I told her I didn't mind driving the whole way, but she just shook her head.

"They need me to start on Monday. I'd rather get there sooner and get reacquainted with everything," she had argued.

So just like that, we packed our belongings away into boxes which were taken away in a large truck and we were left with our small bags of essentials that would last us until the truck arrived at the new house. The trusty old station wagon that had traveled with us for so many years was sold and our last payment on the little yellow house was made. The necessary papers were put together, and I was officially transferred to Forks High, ready to start on Monday. We left Thursday evening and after transferring at the airport in Seattle we boarded a small plane bound for Port Angeles which was now getting ready to land in the very early hours of Friday morning.

I asked my mom how she planned on getting us to Forks, and around in general for that matter, without a car, but she just winked and told me she had it all taken care of.

The plane landed without incident much to my mom's relief, though I'm pretty sure my wrist will bruise from the death grip she had on it while the vehicle glided to the runway.

I wrapped the thin sweater I was wearing more tightly around my shoulders as we walked into the terminal. While the Novembers in California had been a comfortable seventy degrees at the coldest, Forks felt about twenty below to me with a sharp wind which my sweater did nothing to protect me against. Grabbing our bags, we made our way to the exit. A woman holding a sign caught my eye. She was very beautiful, about my mother's age and holding a sign reading, "Welcome Home Renee and Bella!"

I shot a confused glance at my mom, raising a questioning eyebrow. She just smiled and walked towards the woman who engulfed her in a large embrace.

"Esme I've missed you!" my mom said to the woman. "Esme" had caramel colored hair, a fair complexion, and a warm smile.

"I've missed you too Renee! What has it been? Ten years? And emails really aren't the same you know. And my goodness! Is this Bella?! My, you've grown," Esme rushed out excitedly. I was slightly taken aback as she wrapped me in hug as well.

"Bella, this is my friend Esme. She's the one who told me about the house and the job. She and I were friends before…" She left her sentence dangling, but I knew what she was going to say. Before James.

"Of course you wouldn't remember me," continued Esme, slightly more subdued, "You were just a little girl the last time I saw you!" I forced out a weak smile and a mumbled "Nice to meet you."

She beamed at me and then led us to her car. I blinked at the sleek, black Mercedes and slid in gingerly, feeling rather out of place. On the drive to Forks; the late, or rather early, hour began to show its effects on me. My eyelids drooped but I fought to keep them open, peering out into the darkness to catch a glimpse of the place I could only remember through the memories of my seven year old self.

I must have nodded off though because I blinked open my eyes and found we were speeding through a small town. My mom and Esme were speaking in low voices, trying not to wake me up I suppose.

"I'm glad you've decided to come back Renee. I really have missed you."

"Well the time was right I think. I just couldn't keep moving Bella around from place to place like that. She should know what it's like to have a home."  
"Have you, um, had any information about-"  
"No," my mother cut her off quickly, "But I don't want to talk about that right now."

"Right, sorry."

I decided now was a good time to "wake up" so I stretched and yawned, and sat up blinking my eyes tiredly.

My mom turned around and smiled at me. I gave her a small smile in return.

We continued on for a while, and soon Esme was pulling into the driveway of a modest, but very pretty house. It was a two-story white house with a large front porch and green shutters. My mom sighed.

"It's perfect Esme."

"I'm so glad you like it. Wait until you see the inside!"

Confused, I asked Esme, "Are you a realtor?"

"Oh no, sweetie," she smiled, "I'm an interior designer. I took on this project to refurnish the house for selling, and I just knew it would be perfect for the two of you!"

I nodded and got out of the car, opening the trunk to get our bags. My mom gave Esme another hug and thanked her for helping us home.

"Oh it was nothing," Esme assured her, "Anything for an old friend. Anyway I should get going; I've got to get the kids up for school in a couple hours. Promise me we'll get together for lunch sometime this week?" My mom agreed and Esme gave us each another quick hug before speeding off into the night.

We grabbed our bags and started making our way up to the front porch. In the early morning light, I made out two dark shapes further up the driveway. Cars, I assumed, but two?

I had my license, but my mom and I had agreed a long time ago that we were to be a strictly one car family. With all the moving around we did, we couldn't afford to be making payments, paying for gas, and worrying about traveling around with two cars.

"Mom?" I asked, " What's this?" My mom grinned at me and jogged ahead, standing between the two vehicles and gesturing grandly like a host on a game show.

"Surprise!"

Once I got a little closer, I was able to make out the two cars a little better. One was a small yellow Volkswagen Beetle, my mom's dream car from her teenage years. It looked a little beat up, but I knew my mom would like it that much better.

"A car with a story to tell," she'd say.

The second car truly did surprise me. It was a large, faded red, Chevy truck. It looked old, with its large rounded fenders, and I instantly adored it. It wasn't the kind of car I ever imagined myself in, but as I ran up to it, I suddenly couldn't see myself driving anything else. I climbed into the bed of the truck and glanced down at my grinning mother.

"Really?" I asked her, my hopefulness spilling out in my tone.

"Really," she laughed.

"But…" I started.

"Well I know we said we were a one car family, but now that we're settling down for the foreseeable future, I figured why not?" she shrugged.

Suddenly it truly sunk in that my mom was completely set on staying in Forks. I realized a part of me thought that this would be like all of her other schemes and end with us packing up and moving on once again. The addition of the second car told me that this time was different. A strange feeling came over me as I realized the small house in front of me would be a permanent fixture in my life as of now and I couldn't breathe. But I pushed away the unsettling and new feeling, reasoning with myself that the future is never set in stone. This reassured me for the time being, and I returned my attention to the cars.

"But Mom, I was saving for a car. You shouldn't have to pay for it."

"Don't be ridiculous Bella! Besides I bought them from an old family friend. They were practically free. Now come on let's go inside." She brushed off my argument with a wave of her hand and headed up to our new house. I hopped off the back of the- _my_ truck, and followed her inside.

The house really was perfect, and Esme had done a wonderful job. There was a small living room and dining room, both comfortable and cozy looking. The kitchen was beautiful as well, with all new appliances I noticed with approval. There was a door in the kitchen that led to the back porch. I peered out the window to see a good sized backyard that led up to the forest. I thought I could make out the beginnings of a trail, but I couldn't be sure.

"Bella, go check out your bedroom," my mom called from the living room.

I turned towards the stairs taking my time going up. The fourth step from the top creaked I noticed.

I peeked into the first door at the top of the stairs. This was obviously the master bedroom so I moved on. I found one bathroom, so it looked like we would be sharing, but that didn't bother me. I came upon the last room and flicked on the light.

My room was painted a light blue, and the covers on the bed were a floral print with blues, greens, and purples. A comfy looking chair was against the wall opposite my bed, and across from the door way were a white dresser and a desk on either side of a large window. I walked over to the window and peered out. There was a window seat, lined with a cushion and a few pillows and the window itself was framed by white lacey curtains. The window looked out towards the forest.

I liked it. It had an almost "beach-y" feel about it, which felt much more familiar to me than the suffocating green, wet forest I was currently surrounded in.

I lay down on the bed, testing it out and was asleep within minutes.

The next morning I awoke to the sound of rain pouring down. It took me a minute to remember where I was, and the unfamiliar sound of rain pounding unrelentingly against my window threw me. I sighed, staring up at the ceiling for a few minutes before rolling out of bed. I automatically glanced around for my clock, before remembering the truck would be getting here until sometime tomorrow at the earliest. I glanced down at myself, still in my clothes from yesterday, and decided to take a shower.

I rifled through my bag for my toiletries and trudged off to the bathroom.

Feeling refreshed and a bit more awake, I made my way down the stairs, skipping the fourth stair from the top.

My mom was in the kitchen hovering over a cup of coffee. She looked up and smiled at me.

"Good morning! I picked up some breakfast a little while ago," she nodded towards a box of muffins on the counter, "Or lunch, I suppose."

I glanced over at the stove clock, and was surprised to find it was already noon.

"How long have you been awake?" I asked her.

She shrugged, "I never went to bed. Couldn't sleep."

I frowned. "You should go rest or something."

She shook her head, "I was planning on going grocery shopping as soon as you woke up."

"I'll go. You need sleep. Besides," I grinned, "I want to try out the truck."

She smiled and tried to hide a yawn…unsuccessfully.

"You don't even know where it is."

I smirked, "I think I'll manage. I can drive through the entire town and back in about five minutes."

Her laugh turned into another yawn.

"If you're sure…"

"I am," I assured her.

"Well best grab your raincoat I got you then. I doubt this rain will be letting up anytime soon."

I grabbed my coat, and my mom gave me some money and my keys and gave me some vague directions to the only grocery store in town.

I dashed out the front door, ducked inside the cab of my truck, and started it up. It roared to life without so much as a hiccup, and I was surprised to find the radio still worked. I made my way through town, seeing not very many people on the way. Though, I realized, most people were probably at work or school at twelve o'clock on a Friday. I found the grocery store without a problem and began picking up a few items that would last us through the next week or so. I doubted there were many take out options around, so I hoped I would be able to keep my mom away from the stove as much as possible.

Once I was satisfied, I made my way to the check out where a woman gave me a curious glance. I shifted uncomfortably under her questioning gaze and realized in a town where everyone knew everyone the new kid would probably be cause for discussion. Great. Someone got in line behind me and began loading their items on the belt. I focused on them so I wouldn't have to endure the woman's penetrating gaze. Pre-made pizza. Easy mac. Some soda. A six-pack of beer. A bachelor probably. The woman gave a small cough, forcing me to look up.

"That'll be sixty-seven dollars and fifty cents. You know I don't recognize you, are you new in town?"

I threw a few bills on the counter and gave a mumbled yes.

"Oh! Well that's lovely. What's your name dear?"  
I sighed, "Bella. Bella Dwyer."

The person behind me dropped what he was holding to the belt with a crash that startled me. I turned to look at him, and was met with familiar brown eyes and a slightly bushier mustache than I remembered.

"Bella?" He asked, staring at me. "Is that really you? You don't remember me do you?"

How could I forget?

"Officer Swan," I practically whispered. He smiled widely at me.

"It's actually Chief Swan now," he laughed, "You and your mom moved back to town?" I nodded slightly, memories flooding back from that night without my permission. My breathing was coming quicker and my instinct to run was rising. Officer-_Chief_ Swan's smile faded slightly.

"How have you been?" I didn't know what to say. The memories were swirling around in my mind, disabling my thought process. Thankfully the woman behind the counter obnoxiously popped her gum, bringing me out of my haze.

"I-I have to go." The instinct to get away finally took over and I grabbed my bags.

"Keep the change," I told the woman, and avoided Chief Swan's kind brown eyes as I raced for the door and escaped to my truck.

I sat there for a minute collecting myself from this unexpected attack from my past. I shoved the memories back to their rightful place in the deepest shadows of my mind and threw the truck into reverse.

It had only been half a day in this town, and my very carefully constructed walls were already under attack.

Living in Forks might be harder than I thought.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

After the little blast from the past with Chief Swan, the weekend flew by without much excitement. The moving truck arrived Saturday morning with the rest of our things, and we spent all day, and most of Sunday making the little white house, our home. Of course we had a few… interesting items. My mom was a bit of an eccentric person, but of course I preferred to look at it as adventurous. We had several tribal masks and other oddities that got us several strange looks from the neighbors that were peering curiously out from behind their curtains. Ah… the joys of a small town.

So, before we knew it, it was Sunday evening and we were forced to prepare ourselves for what I considered the worst part of the whole moving process. The first day of school.

Being the new kid is something I've gotten used to over the years, I've had no choice but to accept it. But this time was different. In the cities I had lived in before, I blended easily into the background in classes of thirty at the smallest. In Forks, everyone had known each other since they were thrown together in the playpen while their mothers gossiped with each other about the latest town scandal. I would be an oddity, automatically standing out in a sea of sameness just because I was a new face to look at.

Of course, that wasn't completely true, because I had lived here until I was seven. I had gone to preschool and kindergarten with them, but by the time first grade rolled around James has already entered our lives and he pulled me out of school. He made my mom quit her job, and just like that we were under house arrest. Then of course everything went to hell and we were taking off for Phoenix on the first flight out of Port Angeles without a backward glance. The whole affair was kept quiet, and except for a select few, all anyone knew was that my mom was taking off and filing for divorce.

And now, we had returned like a couple of prodigal sons and that was sure to cause a buzz. These people would be entertained by just about anything.

So when my alarm clock began blaring into my ear bright and early Monday morning, I was not a happy camper. I went through my usual routine with zero enthusiasm and a less than attractive scowl on my face which stayed there as I trudged down the stairs for breakfast.

"Whoa! Someone woke up on pouty side of the bed this morning! Careful there sunshine, your face might just get stuck like that," my mom winked at me. I rolled my eyes and got myself a bowl of cereal. One very prominent difference between me and my mom? She is a morning person. I… am not. She was put together in a very professional outfit and she had everything packed and ready to go, a travel mug of coffee in hand. She was excited. It was rolling off of her in waves. It had been years since she was this excited to go to work. Teaching was always her dream job, and getting back to it after all this time put a radiant smile on her face that even I, who was Miss Doom and Gloom at the moment, couldn't help but return with a small smile of my own.

"Ok well I just wanted to tell you good luck before I went to work. You'll do great today, I know," she gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and grabbed her keys and practically danced out the door, "I love you!"

"Love you too," I called in my still scratchy morning voice and then downed the rest of my milk from my cereal. I brushed my teeth, got together my things for school, found my phone and keys, carefully made my bed, brushed my teeth again, and when I couldn't put it off anymore, I decided I should probably get to school.

It was overcast, but not raining just yet, so I decided to take that as a good omen.

By the time I got to the parking lot it was drizzling. But still, it wasn't pouring or anything…

The rain came down a little harder, thunder rolled in the distance and I sighed.

_Let's just get this over with,_ I thought and I made my way to the front office.

I made my way up to a woman who looked so intent on what she was doing at her computer, that I assumed she must be playing Solitaire or something.

"Um… Excuse me?" The woman gave a little start and quickly clicked out of whatever she was doing.

"Hem. Yes. May I help you?"

"Um, yeah. I'm a new student. Bella- er, I mean, Isabella Dwyer? I need my schedule, and um, yeah…" I trailed off lamely. The woman's eyes had grown wide when I mentioned my name, and I shifted uncomfortably under her stare.

"Oh! Yes of course! I heard that you and your mom moved back to town! Welcome home! I've got your schedule right here. And here, get your teachers to sign that throughout the day and then bring it back here after last period, all right?" she said in a sickly sweet tone, handing me all my papers and a map of the school.

"Um, thanks," she just smiled widely at me. "Have a nice day."

"Oh you too dear! Have a lovely day."

I walked quickly out of the office back into the parking lot, where I found more cars began to fill up the spots. My truck didn't stand out too much here, which was a relief. At some of my old schools, it wasn't uncommon to see several shiny luxury vehicles given to spoiled kids by their rich parents. My mom and I had gotten several dirty looks when she would drop me off in the rusty old station wagon.

Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. I immediately tensed and whirled around. I was met with wide, blue eyes.

"Whoa, didn't mean to scare you there."

A tall, blond boy grinned down at me. He was your typical all-American boy, with the charming smile and boyish good looks. Probably popular. Probably a jock.

Not my type.

I didn't have a type.

At my old schools, I never really stuck around long enough for anyone to take any real interest in me. I was fine with that though, in fact I actually preferred it. The whole avoiding relationships thing works out when no one's trying to vie for your attention.

So it was with extreme caution that I smiled tentatively back at Blondie.

"I'm Mike," _Typical. _"You must be Isabella!" My smile grew even tighter.

"Bella, actually."

His grin grew. I thought his face might actually split.

"Right. Cool. So you're new here?"

_Well, obviously._

"Um, yeah I am. We moved in a couple of days ago."

"Awesome. So where are you from?"

_Like you haven't already heard all about me._

"I'm from California."

His brow furrowed in confusion.

"I thought you were from Phoenix?"

_See?_ I suppressed an eye roll.

"Right. Well I've moved around a lot."

He nodded and took in a breath to say something else before he was interrupted.

"Hey Newton! Quit bothering the fresh meat! You'll scare her out of here before she even starts."

My head snapped towards the loud booming voice. Looming above me was the largest teenager I've ever seen in my life. The guy had curly brown hair, with eyes to match which were twinkling with mischief at the moment. He was extremely well muscled and obviously an athlete. His presence was so overwhelming I took a step back subconsciously trying to put more space between us. His face was not unkind, though, and I tried to fight my urge to turn around and high tail it out of the parking lot.

He lifted his chin in my direction.

" 'sup New Girl?" I gave him a small smile.

"I'm Emmett," he boomed, holding out his hand. I hesitated for a moment before putting my hand in his enormous one.

"Bella." He smiled at me, and then tugged me forward pulling me into his side. I uttered a squeak of surprise. He threw an arm around my shoulders and propelled me towards the school. I looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Sorry about that New Girl. Just wanted to get you away from Mike. He can be a bit, over-eager."

I glanced back at Mike who had a disappointed look on his face. I felt a little guilty, but I couldn't help but laugh with Emmett. His good mood felt almost contagious.

"So you're the Bella everyone's been talking about, huh? You know it's been getting kind of annoying. You'd think these people would have something else to talk about!"

_I think I'm going to like him._

I grinned up at Emmett, and ducked out from under his arm, "I am."

"So how bad does it suck being the new girl, New Girl?"

"Just about as badly as it has been the last eight times."

"Eight? Jesus, New Girl."

I shrugged. "How many times have you moved?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Three. How'd you know?"  
"Only someone who's moved around would know how much the first day sucks. And I don't remember you from the last time I lived here."

"Oh yeah. You used to live here."  
I raised an eyebrow at him. "Like everyone hasn't been talking about Isabella Dwyer and her flighty mom."

He coughed and gave me a sheepish grin.

"Yeah, well I might have heard a little bit about all that."

I rolled my eyes good-naturedly and smiled at him.

"Emmett!"

We both turned to the sound of his name being called, and a tall, beautiful girl with long blonde hair walked gracefully up to us. She sidled up to Emmett who threw an arm around her waist and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She turned an icy blue, appraising eye on me, and despite my best efforts I felt the intimidation creeping up on me.

"Making friends with the new girl already Emmett?" She drawled indifferently.

Emmett grinned. "New Girl, this is _my _girl."

I stuck out a hand. She stared at it for a moment, before glaring back up at me.

"You know I don't buy the whole innocent new girl facade. I think you're just a little punk trying to win everyone over."

My anger at this girl's attitude bubbled rapidly. I snatched back my hand and threw her a glare of my own.

"Well I'm sorry. I must have missed the part where I asked or cared for your opinion. Why don't you just march your pretty little head over to a library and check out a book on manners?"

I turned furiously on my heel, and began my exit when I heard the girl give a clear, beautiful laugh and say, "Same old Bellarina."  
I froze and turned around. Gone was the glare, and in its place was a brilliant smile. My jaw dropped.

"Rosalie?" She laughed again.

"Rosalie freaking Hale?" I repeated still in shock. She strode over and wrapped me in a tight hug.

"It's good to see you Bells," she whispered.

"Girls are so confusing," Emmett said, scratching his head. Rosalie let go of me laughing. I stepped back and looked at her.

"Jeez Rose. Nice job growing up."

"Me? How about you? Last time I saw you, you were a little pipsqueak who had pigtails and beat up the boys for teasing me about my glasses. Now look at you." I shrugged off the misguided comment.

Emmett's eyes widened. "Rosie you used to let boys push you around? What happened?"

"I got contacts and grew a spine. Kind of had to after my own personal bodyguard ditched me." She nudged me with her shoulder playfully, but real hurt shone through her eyes for a brief moment. I kicked the ground with my sneaker and mumbled, "We were seven, Rose. I couldn't exactly keep in touch all the way from Phoenix, and then we moved around so much…" I trailed off looking around at anything but her eyes.

"You didn't even tell me you were leaving."

I couldn't take much more. Thankfully the bell rang.

"I've gotta go to class. I'll see you after ok?" I turned towards the school without waiting for an answer and practically ran to my first class.

My first few classes went by in a blur. The same routine of being introduced, the awkward stares, the teacher's assurance that I would like it here very much, they all kind of ran together after a while.

I couldn't tell you what any of the lessons were about. Instead of paying attention, I scanned the room for familiar faces. I didn't have much luck. I hadn't seen these kids for ten years, but many of them seemed really eager to reintroduce themselves.

I wasn't interested.

Making friends was a risky business. I'd see how my mom felt about the place, and if we were here longer than a couple of months, maybe I'd consider it. Standard procedure.

Rosalie was going to be a problem though. I was surprised that she even remembered me. Although I suppose everyone remembers their first best friend. We had been attached at the hip ever since I shoved one of the boys who would tug on her braid to the ground at recess and she split half her chocolate chip cookie with me at lunch in preschool.

And Emmett was such a genuinely nice guy. They were making it difficult for me to stick to my rules, and it hadn't even been a full day yet.

The bell rang after fifth period, and I made my way slowly to lunch. It was best to let the cafeteria fill up first so that I didn't accidently sit at anybody else's table. I'd made that mistake only once.

When I finally made it to the cafeteria, lunch was already in full swing and the dull roar of gossiping teenagers greeted me. A few people blatantly stared as I walked by which I found irritating. At my other schools I was able to blend in much easier. Here I had a history, which made that difficult. It seems everyone wanted a glimpse of the kid whose mom dragged around the country.

That was the problem with small towns. Everyone tended to stick around. Sure they'd go off to college, maybe spout off dreams of living in the big city, but inevitably they would end up right back where they started, marrying their childhood sweetheart and raising three kids to grow up and do the exact same thing. So when someone leaves for good it's a big deal. A lot of people probably saw my mom as irresponsible, not knowing the full story and filling in the blanks themselves.

I tried to avoid the stares, ducking my head and walking quickly across the room to the line.

So I suppose that's why I didn't see it coming.

CRASH!

I smacked into what felt like a brick wall and tumbled to the ground. So much for being subtle.

I looked up to see what I had run into and was met with large green eyes looking back at me with amusement.

"Whoa! Sorry about that I didn't see you there!" The boy above me grinned down at me and reached out a hand to help me up. I took it cautiously, furrowing my brow in suspicion. He was very handsome. Even I could see that. He had bronze colored hair and was very tall, probably around 6'2''. His face was perfectly symmetrical with the only flaw being the crooked grin he sent down to me, but even this only added to the effect. He was clearly an athlete judging by the pain currently coursing through the side of my body that had crashed into him, but he wasn't as muscled as Emmett, rather he was more subtly so. What truly caught my attention though were his shockingly green eyes that were currently sparkling with laughter.

Yes. This boy was definitely going on the list of people to avoid.

"Well I guess that's one way to get your lunch!" the boy joked as he looked down at me. I looked around me and saw that what looked like what was a salad was currently covering the ground around me. I looked back up at the boy, who reached out and plucked something from my hair.

He held up the piece of lettuce and grinned, "Guess you're lucky coach doesn't let us put dressing on our lunch." A smile almost made its way to my face.

The silence around me made me look around the cafeteria to find almost every eye on me. I flushed immediately in embarrassment, and turned quickly to walk out of the cafeteria.

"Hey! Where are you going?" the boy called after me, but I didn't turn around. I had almost made it to the doors when I very nearly had another lunch dumped on me. This time it was a certain blonde who I had planned on avoiding for the remainder of the day.

"Always knew how to make an entrance didn't you Bella?" snorted an amused Rosalie. Before I could answer she grabbed my elbow and steered me towards a table in the center of the room.

She shoved me over to an empty chair and I sat down gingerly. I looked around the table to find two pairs of curious eyes, and one excited pair.

"New Girl!" boomed Emmett, and I couldn't help but smile back at him despite my embarrassment.

Rosalie took her place next to Emmett and gestured to the two other people at the table.

"Bella this is Alice, Emmett's sister," she said nodding towards a small girl with short black hair who immediately smiled brightly at me. She reminded me instantly of Tinkerbelle. "And you remember Jasper." My eyes snapped towards the last person at the table. The handsome, lean, blonde boy with Rosalie's icy blue eyes was not at all compatible with my memories of the skinny, nerdy Jasper I had known.

"Jazz?"

"What you didn't recognize me Bells? I'm hurt!" he joked. Rosalie scoffed.

"Please Jazz you didn't recognize her either. This morning you asked me if I had seen Bella yet as she walked right by you." I could have sworn he blushed a little before laughing with the others.

Jasper, Rosalie and I had been inseparable when we were young. He was a year older than us, but preferred to read his history books rather than play tag with the other boys which didn't make him all that popular. We were a little group of misfits, but I loved them both.

"Anyway, you don't seem to have changed all that much. Quite an entrance there Bellarina," he laughed. I put my head in my hands and groaned.

"That was so embarrassing."

"Aw don't worry about it Bells!" Emmett said waving a large hand dismissively, "That guy's an idiot."

Suddenly, from behind me I heard a "Hey!"

My head whipped around to find Green-eyed boy glaring at Emmett jokingly.

"Oh yeah," Emmett continued, "He's also my brother."


End file.
